Current work vehicles, such as tractors and other agricultural vehicles, include an electronically controlled engine and a transmission, such as a power shift transmission (PST) or a continuously variable transmission (CVT), coupled to the engine. The transmission is, in turn, coupled to at least one drive axle for transferring torque from the transmission to the vehicle's wheels or tracks. For instance, for a four-wheel drive track-driven vehicle, a drive wheel of each front track assembly is typically rotationally coupled to a front drive axle of the work vehicle for transferring torque transmitted from the engine to the front track assemblies while a drive wheel of each rear track assembly is typically rotationally coupled to a rear drive axle of the work vehicle for transferring torque transmitted from the engine to the rear track assemblies. As is generally understood, each drive wheel may be configured to rotationally engage a corresponding endless track of the associated track assembly such that rotation of the drive wheel rotates the track, thereby allowing the vehicle to be driven forward or backward.
In many instances, it is desirable to provide a tracked work vehicle that includes a steerable drive axle to allow the track assemblies to be steered or pivoted relative to a central axle carrier or body of the drive axle. However, conventional steerable drive axles typically include a cantilevered arrangement outboard of the king pins, thereby resulting in a cantilevered load being applied through the associated gear assembly. As such, the components of the gear assembly, such as the planetary gears, bearings and/or other related components, must be overdesigned to accommodate the cantilevered loading condition, which significantly increases the overall weight and associated costs of the assembly.
Accordingly, a steerable drive axle for a tracked work vehicle having a configuration that eliminates cantilevered loading on the gear assembly and other associated components would be welcomed in the technology.